Lost Novelist
by untitles
Summary: Something bad happens to Eiri, and his lover is determined to save him. Will Shuichi make it in time? Many pairings, main pair Eiri and Shuichi. Rated T, except chapter four which is rated M due to sexual situations and violence.
1. Chapter one

**Lost Novelist  
**

** Summary: Eiri and Shuichi are invited to the 5th wedding day party of the Seguchis. Unwanted guests arrive. Kidnap. Chaos. Blackmail. (Sorry, I suck at writing summaries)  
Pairings + characters: Eiri x Shuichi, Tohma x Mika, Hiro x Suguru, Tatsuha x Ryuichi, K, Sakano, Maiko, Ayaka... and some others who I wont let you know until the later chapters!  
Rating: T (for now, it will rise to M)  
Warnings: shounen ai/yaoi (duh, it's Gravitation), strong language, violence  
Disclaimer: I'm not Maki Murakami, so I don't own Gravitation, which I'm very sad about, and this isn't for money or any of the sort, just for fun.  
**

**A/N: English is not my mother tongue, so I apologise for any stupid grammar or spelling mistakes. And for not having a beta-reader. I read it through myself, but I'm not very sharp-eyed... Gomen nasai.  
**

_**- Chapter one -**  
About better mornings **  
**_

"Eiri! Wake up!"

Yuki Eiri opened his golden eyes with difficulty. He blinked at the bright sunlight beaming from the window. Someone had pulled the curtains aside. Eiri groaned and slapped his hand on his eyes. He really didn't want to wake up yet.

"Eiri! It's already 10 am! We're gonna be late!"

Eiri moved his hand and opened his eyes again. Bright violet eyes shone in front of him, winning the sun in radiance. When Shindou Shuichi realised his lover was finally awake, a wide smile appeared on his face. A sweet laugh escaped his mouth and he placed a soft kiss on Eiri's lips.

Though Eiri despised mornings, he had to admit, that since Shuichi had fought his way into his life mornings weren't _so _terrible as they had been.

Despite feeling this way, he grunted in an irritated manner: "Good morning to you too brat." Eiri pushed Shuichi away from his face and sat up. He looked outside. The sky was clear and it looked warm. He sighed mentally. He really didn't want to spend a day like this with his sister and brother-in-law. It was finally Saturday, his favourite day of the week, the day he had decided never to work, except in extreme conditions. And of course, Touma's and Mika's 5th wedding-day party would take place on Saturday. Today.

The invitation the Seguchis had sent had come already two weeks ago. It had been addressed not only to Eiri, but to Shuichi also. Eiri had thanked his sixth-sense that day since he had gone to pick up the mail. If Shuichi would've found the invitation before Eiri had ripped it into unreadable pieces, Eiri would've been forced to go. But he had felt victorious too soon. The next day Shuichi had come home from work hovering a few feet off the ground. Touma had asked Shuichi about them attending the party, and Eiri had felt his good luck vanish into thin air. Shuichi had wanted to see the invitation, and Eiri had had to tell him he had ripped it and that he had had no intention of going to the party. Shuichi had burst into tears and shouted something about "not meaning anything to Eiri" and that "did Eiri think that little about their relationship". The only way Eiri had made Shuichi stop crying and apologising himself at the same time was to promise that they would go to that stupid party. Eiri knew he'd be bored to death and Mika being pregnant he couldn't even smoke without going outside, but maybe seeing Shuichi happy would make up for it. Just maybe.

Eiri yawned and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was indeed 10 am. The party started at 11 am. Eiri didn't understand who in the world kept so called parties that early in the day. They were bound to be late, but Eiri didn't care. At least he was going, which he knew nobody expected. He hadn't attended Touma's and Mika's wedding day parties ever, and sending him an invitation was rather a tradition. But this year was different. It was different because of Shuichi in his life. Eiri frowned when he realised that Touma had probably known he had not planned to come and intentionally asked Shuichi about the party.

"Eiri, get up, I don't want to be late!" Shuichi jumped off the bed and went to his wardrobe. He was back towards Eiri, who couldn't help to secretly admire his lover's backside. Shuichi didn't have a shirt on, so he had probably been in middle of dressing up. Shuichi hummed silently as he went through his garments. Eiri stared intensely at his hair, his back, his arms, his ass… when Shuichi lifted up his arm to grab a shirt from the hanger, Eiri could see his small muscles move in a way which made Eiri's skin feel hot and his fingers wanted to touch that back so badly. Shuichi suddenly bent down to look for shoes at the bottom of the wardrobe. Eiri stared at his round ass, and he felt himself harden. _Oh shit_, he thought. _How can something so innocent make me almost come? _ He rubbed his face roughly and got up to take a shower. Before closing the bathroom door, he cleared his throat and said with a voice he knew Shuichi would immediately recognise: "You know, since you're not fully dressed yet, you might want to take another shower."

Shuichi looked up and grinned. He threw the red collar shirt he had been holding in his hand onto the bed and obediently followed Eiri to the bathroom, and shut the door with a smile.

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After forty-five minutes and a very brief breakfast, both lovers were fully dressed and ready to go. Shuichi still felt a little hot from their "activities" in the shower. Eiri had been surprisingly gentle, and Shuichi wondered was it just because it was morning, and his blonde lover was still a bit drowsy. He didn't know, but he didn't really care. He loved Eiri, but he loved his gentle side the most. Just the memory of Eiri's soft fingertips on his skin, lightly touching every spot on his body and his lips brushing over his neck, temples, cheeks, nose and lips made a warm shiver go down Shuichi's backbone. He looked at Eiri, who was putting on his jacket. The blonde had straight black pants and a dark green shirt, and he had left the first few buttons open. His hair looked like silk. Shuichi often forgot where he was when he started studying Eiri. _How can someone be so beautiful?_ he though in awe.

"What're you staring at?" Eiri stated bluntly without looking at Shuichi, who snapped out of his thoughts.

"At you," he confessed, knowing that deep down Eiri loved it when he was under Shuichi's eyes.

Eiri smirked. "Oh… And what's there to look at in me exactly?" He went through his pockets for his lighter and cigarettes. He found them in his breast pocket. He grabbed the car keys, and opened the door for Shuichi.

Shuichi slipped outside into the corridor and headed towards the car. "Everything," he answered simply. Though he couldn't see Eiri's face, he knew there was a small smile on his lips.

They hopped into the black Mercedes and Eiri drove them to the streets of Tokyo. It was already quarter to eleven, and it was an almost half an hour drive to the Seguchis. Shuichi hated being late, especially when it was the very first party he and Eiri had been invited to together. As a couple. The word _couple _sounded good in Shuichi's ears. He glanced quickly at Eiri, who was smoking in harmony. Shuichi turned his head to look out of the window while they drove on a bridge. He sighed at the wonderful view of the sea. _This is how it should always be,_ he decided in his mind. He hadn't felt so content in a long time. Work had been fairly easy, since Bad Luck had just had a two week tour in Japan, and their newest album had just been put into sales, so there was no real hurry with new songs. Shuichi sighed again. Eiri had also finished his latest novel in time, and his new deadline was in one month. A smile crept on Shuichi's face and he closed his eyes. _There's so much time for us to be together, Eiri._ Suddenly a familiar song popped into his mind and he started humming it quietly.

During the whole drive neither of them said anything, and they let silence take over. But it wasn't an awkward silence; this was how they both liked it the most. No words, just each other's presence.

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**A/N: Wow. I actually finished writing the first chapter of my first Gravitation fanfic. Hope you liked it, though it's only the beginning and the plot will reveal itself in the later chapters. Liked it or not, please review. I'd really appreciate constructive critique. So no flames! Thanks for reading, I'll submit chapter two as soon as possible.  
**


	2. Chapter two

**A/N: Chapter two is up! Still not very much action in this one either, sorry... **

_**- Chapter two –**_

_About penguins and evil men_

"Welcome, Shindou-kun! We thought you'd never show up!" Seguchi Touma greeted Shuichi as he and Eiri had finally arrived. Their tranquillity in the car had soon ended, because they had found themselves stuck in a traffic jam. Eiri had cursed all the drivers and Tokyo's traffic settlements, while Shuichi had started whining about being even more late. Eiri had quickly told him to shut the hell up, but Shuichi had continued, blaming Eiri for waking up so late. This had made Eiri piss off even more, and he had threatened to throw Shuichi out of the car if he didn't keep his mouth shut. Shuichi had started crying, apologising to Eiri a hundred times. The rest of the drive was full of groaning, shouting, cursing and crying. When Eiri had parked the car onto the yard of the Seguchi residence, it was already quarter to twelve.

"I'm so sorry, Seguchi-san!" Shuichi exclaimed. "We were caught into a traffic jam, and… and…" Shuichi got lost in his words. He had just had a good look at the Seguchis' house. It was huge. It had three floors, a vast terrace ad two big balconies filled with flowers. The windows were high and clear, with long elegant curtains. Touma was standing on the front stairs which led to the terrace. The front door was left open, and revealed an equally huge hall. Shuichi turned around to look at the yard and his eyes widened in bewilderment; if the house (or should he say mansion) was to be considered big, then the yard was massive. It had a fountain in one corner, a long wooden table and a grill in another. There was a swimming pool at the back, and the blue water glittered in sunlight. Flowers, bushes and trees blossomed in the garden in uncountable numbers. Shuichi blinked, since he had never in his life seen a home like this.

"Haven't you ever seen a house?" he heard Eiri's low voice behind him. Shuichi turned to look at his lover.

"Not a house like this…" Shuichi murmured and followed Eiri to the terrace.

"Oh, Eiri-san, you came this year!" Touma said happily, but not truly in amazement. Eiri gave him a death glare. A butler in black and white clothes came to escort them inside.

Shuichi looked at the butler. _They really look like penguins, _he though smiling. He was just about to give the penguin his jacket, when he heard a familiar voice.

"I thought I'd never see you enter this house without force after our wedding, Eiri-nii-san," Seguchi Mika said, walking down the main stairs. She wore a crimson red dress, and her auburn brown hair flowed free behind her back. She was five months pregnant, but the dress still suited her perfectly. She looked stunning, and made Shuichi wonder how come all of the Uesugi offspring had so good looks.

"It's not like I came here because I wanted to," Eiri grunted and threw lightning bolts from his eyes towards his sister. Mika blocked them completely and smiled sweetly at Shuichi.

"It's good to have you here too, Shindou-kun," she said pleasantly and gave Shuichi a light kiss on his cheek. Shuichi beamed. Eiri rolled his eyes. It wasn't long ago when his sister had wanted to make Shuichi disappear from his life forever.

Eiri shrugged, gave his jacket to the butler and walked into the living room. When he passed through the hall, he saw three muscular bodyguards standing backs against the wall. He secretly thanked Touma for them. The house was full of famous celebrities, so all kinds of sick stalkers could come and cause chaos. He wasn't afraid for his own safety; he could defend himself pretty well. But Shuichi… he would need protection, if some freak decided to attack. But Eiri knew nobody could know about this party, since Touma had always kept quiet about his personal life.

Eiri sat down onto the black couch. The living room was spacey, decorated in a modern style. The stereo played silent music. Eiri closed his eyes. Though it was a family and friends occasion, he hated parties. Right now, he wanted to lie in bed with Shuichi, maybe sleeping, or doing something _else__…_

He snapped out of his fantasies when Shuichi fell onto the couch next to him. His pink-haired lover looked excited; his cheeks were a rosy red and his eyes shone. Eiri smiled inwardly and lifted his arm behind Shuichi's shoulders onto the back of the couch.

Shuichi was about to start to wonder where the other guests were, when Sakuma Ryuichi bounced into the living room, followed by Uesugi Tatsuha, Eiri's younger brother.

"Ah, aniki," Tatsuha panted with a smirk from the doorway. He ran his hand through his raven black hair. "I never thought – "

" – you'd see me in this house ever again, yes, I know," Eiri finished his sentence for him. Tatsuha had a quick look at Shuichi, who was being suffocated by a hug from Ryuichi, and then looked back at Eiri. Tatsuha gave his brother a knowing look. Eiri granted his little brother with a glare. Tatsuha smiled, shook his head and tried to save Shuichi from Ryuichi's grip.

"Kumagorou Beam!" Ryuichi, the child in his thirties, screamed and threw his stuffed pink bunny in Tatsuha's face and jumped on top of him. Shuichi was freed, and started laughing at the sight of the battling couple. Without knowing about doing so, Shuichi took Eiri's hand in his own and Eiri didn't push it away.

"We leave these guys alone for a few minutes, and this happens," Nakano Hiroshi chuckled entering the room, Fujisaki Suguru on his tail. Shuichi's eyes lit as he saw his best friend, who sat next to him. Suguru took a seat from the big, cushy armchair opposite them.

"Hiro!" Shuichi said with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were invited too! And Suguru, you also."

Suguru lifted his legs over the arms of the chair. "Of course I was invited, I'm Touma's cousin," he stated and yawned. "I just hope he didn't invite any other relatives… Our family isn't exactly the most - well, _tolerable."_

Eiri had to agree with Suguru. He remembered Mika's and Touma's wedding… he had smoked almost two packs of cigarettes that day just so he would be left alone from the Seguchis'. The novelist hoped that Mika hadn't invited any of the Uesugi family either. If his father showed up, he and Shuichi would be gone before anyone could utter a single word.

"And naturally, Bad Luck being the number one band in NG and Japan, our lovely boss decided to invite me," Hiro explained. "He probably did it only because you and Suguru would be here too, though."

"Didn't you bring Ayaka-chan with you, Hiro?" Shuichi asked innocently, looking around as if trying to find Ayaka hiding. She and Hiro had been going out for awhile now.

Hiro went a bit red and cleared his throat. He threw a fleeting look at Suguru, who was studying his hands as though they had something very interesting in them. The tips of his ears burned red.

"Umm, me and Ayaka... well, we sort of split up, Shuichi," Hiro said with a strange tone. Shuichi's purple orbs widened again, this time with confusement and pity.

"You did? Oh, that's too bad, Hiro," Shuichi said and gave the guitarist a hug. "You ok? When did it happen?"

Hiro stammered in his words a bit when he told Shuichi he'd explain later and that right now he just wanted to have fun. Shuichi fell for the excuse completely, staying oblivious to Hiro's awkward tone of voice and to Suguru, who was shifting in his chair uneasily.

Eiri, on the other hand, saw and understood the whole situation perfectly. Actually, he found it rather amusing. _Maybe homosexuality really is infectious, _he thought, fighting the urge to laugh.

Shuichi let go of Hiro and smiled. He was glad he had got Eiri out of bed and coming here too. To Shuichi, being invited along with Eiri meant acceptance about their relationship from Touma, and he was happy about it. Shuichi snuggled a little closer to his lover, who didn't reject him. Shuichi inhaled Eiri's scent and felt even more happy. _Today is perfect, just perfect, _he mused.

After a while, Sakano and K came over. Sakano had apologised Touma uncountable times for being late; he also had been caught in the traffic. K's excuse was that in midway he had remembered leaving his brand new machinegun on the kitchen table, loaded. His son (a gunholic like his father) had already shot down a pigeon or two and a couple windows the time K had returned to retrieve his beloved gun.

Finally, all the guests (and to Eiri's and Suguru's relief, any unwanted relatives weren't invited) were asked to move to the dining room by Touma and Mika. They sat around the huge dining room table, made out of luxurious mahogany. The butlers - yes, there wasn't only one penguin, but two - served them their courses. The food was delicious. Shuichi ate so much Eiri could just wonder how big his stomach really was. He also made a mental note about not driving too fast back home, since he didn't want any half-digested food around his Mercedes.

While they waited for their desserts, the company started chatting casually, everyone except Eiri. But he didn't mind. This was the way he liked it; the other's could talk as much as they pleased, as long as he wasn't forced into it. He seldom grunted an answer to someone who asked his opinion on something, mostly to Shuichi.

The butlers came into the dining room with plated full of créme brulée. Eiri winced. It was Mika's favourite dessert of all time and he loathed it, but ate it with pride.

The others took a long time to eat. Eiri felt his body aching for nicotine, so he excused himself from the table murmuring that he was going outside for a smoke. Tatsuha wanted to join him, but Eiri ushered him away. He was about to grab his jacket from the hanger when two of the three bodyguards walked (or rather stomped) up to him.

"Are you going out, sir?" the one with short black hair asked. Eiri couldn't see his eyes, because they were covered with thick sunglasses. _What a cliché_, he mentally smirked.

"Yes, I am going out, and I don't need you company," Eiri said, making it clear he was going to smoke in peace.

The guards looked at each other in slight confusion. "But, Uesugi-sama... Seguchi-sama has given strict orders -"

Eiri narrowed his eyes. "I don't give a fuck of Touma's orders. I'm going alone, period. Go look after the ones who really need protection." And with that, he pulled on his jacket and marched out of the door. The guards shook their heads, and returned to their places. When Yuki Eiri said 'no', it meant a 'no'.

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It wasn't even two o'clock yet. Eiri lit up and drew a deep breath. He blowed the smoke slowly out of his lungs, enjoying it to the fullest. He looked at the house but couldn't see the dining room, which was on the other side of the house. He turned around to see the front door. Good. No bodyguards watching over him.

Eiri inhaled again. He knew he could defend himself if any attackers would appear, which wasn't very likely anyway. He needed fresh air (a/n: and cigarette smoke is considered fresh?) and he needed it by himself. Parties, or any socials events for that matter, made him feel uneasy. And besides, he had come only because Shuichi had wanted to go. He was actually happy about Mika being pregnant: now he at least had a good enough reason to excuse himself.

Eiri was just about to pull out another cigarette from his pack when he felt like being watched. He had an itching feeling in his back, which he always had when someone was watching him. Eiri turned slowly around, trying to stay as casual as he could. He didn't see anybody between the bushy trees behind him. He looked at the front door and the windows. Nobody there either.

"I'm imagining things," he murmured to himself, but glanced at his surroundings wearily. "I'm starting to turn into Shuichi." He was about to lit up again, when he heard a cracking noise from his left. The cigarette fell to the ground when Eiri swiftly turned to face the thick patch of trees where the noise had come from. He observed the area intently with narrowed golden eyes. Again, he didn't see anyone. But he knew someone was there, and that someone didn't have good intentions.

"Who's there?" Eiri asked with a cold and low voice. He tried to see any small movements that the intruder might make, but the sunlight didn't reach the thick spot of trees. Once nobody answered, Eiri repeated his question in a more dangerous tone. He thought about calling for the bodyguards, but he didn't want to worry Shuichi nor his sister, who, because of her pregnancy, had become very sensitive. He clenched his fists.

Nobody replied this time either. Eiri was beginning to lose his nerve. Though not showing it, the prowler made him anxious. _What the hell's going on?_

Eiri took a few steps closer to the neat line of trees. He tried to see to the shadows, but it was impossible to make out anything of the blurry darkness.

He stepped closer. When he was close enough for the first leaves to touch his blond hair, he knew he was being foolish. He was putting himself into unnecessary danger. Maybe the intruder had already left. But Eiri couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.

Suddenly, too suddenly for Eiri to think straight, he heard light footsteps behind him. Immediately he turned around, making a huge mistake. The intruder Eiri had been looking for jumped on him from the treetop and clapped a strong hand over his mouth and nose. Eiri tried to shout but managed to make just a silent muffle. He had trouble breathing and he felt his heart pounding faster than ever. He kicked and attempted to punch his attacker, but he was in a tight grip. To his horror, he realised that his limbs felt numb and heavy. He was losing his consciousness. He turned his almost closed eyes at the one standing infront of him, the one who had been watching his every move since he had come outside. He was a tall man, dressed in black. Eiri wanted to have a better look at him, but his eyelids dropped close. Everything around him went fuzzy and dark. He didn't feel the hand on his face anymore; he didn't feel anything at all.

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**A/N: Okay. Some action at least. This chapter was beta-read by blacksheep222. Thanks for reading and please review, even if you do it anonymous. Any comment at all is very helpful. Chapter three coming up soon. **


	3. Chapter three

**A/N: Chapter three! Thanks for the reviews, dear readers. Hopefully you'll find this chapter interesting also. Plus, I realised that Touma calls Shuichi Shindou-_san, _not Shindou-_kun _like I wrote in the previous chapters. So from this chapter on it's Shindou-san, when coming from Touma. **

_**  
- Chapter three -**_

_About mother's love and deserted kitchens**  
**_

Shuichi scraped the remainings of his créme brulée and buried them in his mouth. He took his serviette from his lap and wiped the corners of his mouth, after seeing Hiro do that awhile ago. And he had decided to follow his lead, since his best friend had _some _manners. They had been talking about music with Suguru, but somehow they had drifted back to their high school times. Suguru listened to their stories, occasionally rolling his eyes. The stuff the two best friends had done as teenagers with raging hormones, made Suguru understand why Hiro and Shuichi were what they were now, their twentieth birthdays approaching. He was just glad the other guests were deep in their own conversations, so they didn't pay any attention to Hiro and Shuichi.

"Remember that time when we tried to bleach my pubic hair in the school's bathrooms so I could dye them pink to match my hair, and Kagesumi-sensei found us (1)?" Shuichi laughed his eyes watering. Hiro burst out into even louder laughter when he remebered the incident and held his stomach.

K had been having a silent discussion with Touma and Sakano, who was sweating. Touma had a puzzled look on his usually smiling face and K looked very serious. Mika and Tatsuha had been debating about which one of them would have to persuade Eiri to come to their father's birthday celebration. Tatsuha had trouble concentrating in his sister, because Ryuichi was busy touching his lower body underneath the table. All of them looked at the pink-haired singer and his guitarist and at the irate keyboardist, when two of them had roared in laughter. Despite the pressuring news he had just heard from K, Touma forced a questioning smile on his face. Suguru merely shrugged and shook his head to his cousin. Touma was just about to call for the butler when his eyes caught Eiri's empty seat.

"Shindou-kun?" he asked with a frown. "Where's Eiri?"

Shuichi turned to face his boss and wiped the remaining tears of laughter off his cheeks. The broad smile he had been having vanished and was replaced with a concerned expression. "Um, he said he was going for a smoke..." Shuichi muttered. _But that was - _he looked at the grandfatherclock standing next to the wall, but he had absolutely no idea at what time Eiri had left outside - _half an hour ago? Or was it even more? _

The singer tried to remain calm and stood up. He looked outside from the majestic windows, but didn't see Eiri on the yard. His heart skipped a beat and he swallowed. His lover was probably on the other side of the house. But uneasiness crept into Shuichi and he decided to make sure. "I'll go get him inside. His lungs are gonna burn at this rate," he tried to say light-heartedly, but failed in it perfectly. Followed by Touma, Shuichi went outside, trying to keep his pace at normal.

When they passed through the hallway, Touma realised that all three of his bodyguards stood at their positions.

"Why isn't any of you outside with Eiri?" the president demanded to know. The three muscular men in black moved nervously.

"Uesugi-sama ordered us not to accompany him," one of them said.

Shuichi could see a muscle twitch in Tohma's eyebrow.

"And who hired you? Me! You take orders from nobody else than _me_, no matter were we related or not!" Touma said with an icy chill in his voice. Shuichi didn't understand why Touma looked so furious; Eiri only wanted to smoke alone and it's not like he was being stalked or anything, Shuichi reasoned in his mind.

While Touma continued telling his bodyguards off, Shuichi skipped down the front stairs. He looked around the yard.

"Eiri?" he called when he didn't see anyone. He scowled and called for the novelist again, this time louder. He didn't get an answer this time either, which made him worry.

"Just calm down, will you?" he told himself out loud. "He's probably gone for a walk or something. He hates parties." Shuichi could picture Eiri's expression when he'd find out his baka (2) had been worried for him for nothing.

Though trying his hardest to get rid of the nerve-wracking feeling, Shuichi didn't succeed very well. He almost ran around the house and when he was back at the spot he had left from, not finding Eiri, he really got worried. And to make matters worse, he started to get angry at himself for being worried.

Shuichi had been so preoccupied in his own (now rather unstable) mind, that he hadn't seen Touma arrive at the yard also.

"So he isn't here?" Touma inquired, and frowned when Shuichi shook his a bit dumbfoundedly.

"He's probably on a walk," Shuichi suggested weakly, though deep down he knew that Eiri wouldn't just leave, not even for a short walk, without mentioning it to Shuichi. He might not say a word to anyone else, but to Shuichi he would, knowing that the popstar would panic (just like he was panicking at the moment) finding him missing.

"Hmph..." Touma smiled condescendingly and lifted hs arms to his chest. Though he seemed calm, Shuichi could see a little bit of fret in his eyes. And Shuichi didn't like it all. In fact, it made him panic even more.

Suddenly, Shuichi saw something glint in the may green grass. He jogged to see what it was...

Shuichi violet eyes widened in bewilderment. It was a ring. A very _familiar _ring he had seen someone very precious to him wear almost everyday. And next to it, he saw a cigarette cracked in two and a lighter. With trembling hands, Shuichi picked the lighter up. To his horror, he found himself staring at a printclub-picture of himself and Eiri, the one they had taken in the amusement park almost a year ago. Hot tears burning in the corners of his eyes, Shuichi grabbed the ring and the broken cigarette off the ground. He looked at the label in the cigarette. The same brand which Eiri preferred. It hadn't even been lit.

Lastly, he looked at the ring. It was a plain and simple platinum ring, with a few marks indicating that it was rather old and been in use for many years. Tears now almost blinding him, Shuichi turned it around to see into the inner part of it. He gasped and dropped the lighter and the cigarette on the grass, destroying the tobacco completely.

With thin and artistic kanji, the carving said:

_To my dear Eiri; may you find happiness in everything you do. Love, Mother. (3)  
_

Shuichi felt his knees give in. He squeezed the ring with his fist against his chest as he cried out loud, as if seeking for comfort from it. Again Touma had walked behind Shuichi's back, but the singer had pain no attention. Touma placed his hand gently, but little shakily, on Shuichi's equally shaking shoulders.

"Eiri!" Shuichi screamed with a thick voice, tears spluttering to the ground.

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"Mmm, Hiro... You taste like créme brulée," Suguru moaned, parting from Hiro after a long and passionate kiss. Hiro felt his blood pumping in his ears, feeling rather hot. But he felt even hotter as the small boy infront of him licked his upper lip seductively. Hiro grinned devilishly and pulled Suguru back into a steamy kiss. Suguru slid his hand along Hiro's back, waist and pinched his ass, smirking. Hiro smiled into the kiss and held Suguru tighter, deepening the kiss.

They had told the others they were getting some water from the kitchen after Shuichi and Touma had gone to get Eiri inside. The couple had lost track of time completely after sharing a brief kiss, and were now enjoying the deserted kitchen to it's fullest.

Hiro moaned softly as Suguru dug his slender fingers into his long, auburn red hair. He slid his hands under the keyboardist's shirt, touching the baby-soft skin, feeling his touch making a shiver go through Suguru -

"Eiri!"

"Shuichi?" Hiro jerked up his head from Suguru's neck. "That was Shuichi's voice!" He let go of Suguru and dashed out of the kitchen followed by his lover.

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"Aww, Ryu-chan, stop that..." Tatsuha ordered half-heartedly, when the childish man he loved so much tickled him from his knee.Ryuichi giggled, but drew his hands away for the time being.

Mika gave his little-brother a look, as if saying _'I have no problem with you being gay, but please, don't be one infront of me.'_

"Anyway, as I was saying..." she threw her long hair over her shoulders. "I think you should drag Eiri to Kyoto. You are much closer to him than I am."

Tatsuha shook his head violently. "Not happening, sis'. Last time _I _tried to get him to the temple, I found my bike in ten pieces."

Mika raised her eyebrows. "Why on earth did he do that for?"

A faint blush appeared on the young monk's cheeks. "Well, it was before I had met Ryuichi, and uh... Shuichi does look a lot like him..." Tatsuha mumbled under his breath.

Mika opened her mouth to ask Tatsuha to repeat, when a heartbreaking scream was heard from outside.

"Eiri!"

The two siblings, Ryuichi and K and Sakano, who were sitting at the end of the table, jumped up from their seats, and ran outiside.

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**(1) - This is my own imagination.**

**(2) - baka idiot (which you SHOULD know) **

**(3) - This, too, is my imagination. **

**A/N: Wonderful, now that's finished. Sorry for the late update, I was lacking the inspiration (blame Kyou Kara Maou:P). I hope Shuichi's reaction wasn't over the top... Though, I guess Shuichi breaking down isn't anything new. And before I forget, the next chapter will contain a lot of violence and harsh language. So beware :P (or not.)**

** Argh, one more thing. This chapter isn't beta-read. Sorry. Try to live with it.  
**


	4. Chapter four

**A/N: So, like I have warned you guys in the summary and at the end of chapter three, this chapter is rated M for violence, some harsh language and sexual situations. Thanks for the reviews by the way!**

_**- Chapter four - **_

It was dark. So dark, that Eiri couldn't see a thing. After awhile, he realised he was unable to open his eyes at all.

His head was throbbing. Eiri tried to lift up a hand to massage his temples, but was unable to do that too. His hands weren't tied; he didn't feel a rope or any of the sort around his wrists. He just simply couldn't move his arm.

The thought caused slight panic to dwell inside him. He tried to kick. Nothing happened. Even his legs refused to move. Eiri started to get terrified. _What the fuck has happened to me!_

He didn't know what to do. His whole body felt paralyzed. But for some strange and not-so-pleasant reason, he could still feel a touch. He felt his hair tickling his ear; he felt cold air blow on his bare chest from somewhere. Maybe it was because he couldn't see, but he soon noticed that his other senses had sharpened. Even the smallest contact to his skin tinged and the the faintest sound was audible.

And then he suddenly felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He wanted to wince, but the muscles in his face didn't even flinch.

He tried to think rationally. _I can't be paralyzed thoroughly, my heart's pounding and I'm still breathing normally, aren't I? Then could it be..._

Then realisation hit him: poison. Flashes of memories started to form up in his mind. The strong hand, covering his mouth and nose; his ring, the one his mother had given him before her death, slipping of his middlefinger, while he was trying to fight the attacker. His limbs feeling unnaturally heavy. The tall, thin man standing in front of him, clad in black...

He also recalled a stinging, bitter smell on the man's hand who had jumped on him from the treetop. The smell, lulling him into a blurry sleep.

Which he had now awakened from. The confusement about the paralization of his body vanished when Eiri started to ponder where the hell was he. He wanted to open his eyes desperately and to see his surroundings. He believed he was alone in the room. He assumed it was a room, a dark one, since he couldn't see any light through his eyelids. Though, he had no idea of the time, and for what he knew it might be already midnight. Hell, it might be days since he was kidnapped. Or weeks.

His stomach growled. He was hungry; it seemed as though he hadn't eaten in ages. He could still smell the bitter odor in his nose and, in addition with hunger, Eiri was starting to feel sick.

_How could've I been so stupid? _He wanted to beat himself up for acting so carelessly. _I should've learned to trust my instincts by now... _

He was getting restless and mocking himself didn't help at all. _Helpless, _he thought sourly in his mind. _Why am I left alone? If I'm kidnapped, shouldn't I be guarded in case anyone came to look for me?_

If he could've frowned, he would have done that now. Would someone come to look for him? Had Shuichi, Touma and the others realised by now that he was missing? He knew Shuichi must have. From experience Eiri knew that Shuichi would be worried sick if he was gone for even an hour without an explanation.

Thinking about Shuichi made his chest tighten. Was he being kidnapped because someone wanted to get their share of _his _brat? Maybe the kidnappers would use Eiri as blackmail to get something from the popstar... Eiri could only guess. Nevertheless, he was worried about his lover. Though he would never be caught admitting it, but he cared about Shuichi. For fuck's sake, he cared about him more than anything. But knowing Shuichi, if he was told Eiri would be killed if he didn't do exactly what was asked of him, Shuichi wouldn't hesitate to do as ordered. And this concerned the blonde novelist the most.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard hasty footsteps from somewhere near. Suddenly, he felt a door spring open on the wall opposite him and cold air surrounding his limp body. Eiri's heartbeat quickened and now, more than ever, he wanted to open his eyes but failed miserably.

"Ah…" he heard a thin and silent, but still very audible voice sigh. "Yuki Eiri-san, welcome."

If he could've, Eiri would have snorted. _Welcome my ass. Like I had a choice of coming here._

Heavy footstep of another person drew closer to Eiri. The person was so close to him now that the blonde could feel his thick and reeking breath on his face. He winced mentally, but couldn't possibly move away from that stenching person he suspected to be a man. His suspicions turned to be correct as Eiri heard his voice.

"You lied to me, Kazuya," the man sneered and Eiri felt a rough hand on his chest. He wanted frantically to tell the repulsive man to get his hands off.

Kazuya, supposedly the owned of the voice that had so pleasantly greeted Eiri, chuckled. "I did…? And what, Riko, did I lie about exactly…?" Kazuya spoke with a lingering, almost whispering tone.

Riko snickered. "You said" – the lumpy hand caressed Eiri's chest harshly – "that Yuki-_kun _was good-looking. But in my opinion, he is, in fact" – Riko lifted his hand upward to fondle Eiri's face rather clumsily – "absolutely _divine._"

Eiri could hear his heart drumming in his ears. He didn't like the lust that accompanied Riko's voice. He didn't like it all, and the fact that he was incapable of defending himself in his current state made matters even worse. He just had to hope Riko had something else to do…

It turned out in a few seconds that Eiri was wrong. Kazuya let out an airy laugh and said with his overly calm tone: "I am very sorry, Riko-san, for not making your Yuki-san justice. But I have other matters to attend to now, and I must speak with Watsuki. We must proceed quickly to the next stage. I trust you to keep our _guest _entertained for the time being, eh, Riko-san…"

His breath stuck in his throat, Eiri got extremely alarmed. _Your _Yuki-san…? This – Riko, he wouldn't… No…

Terror captured Eiri's heart as Kazuya left the room, closing the door with a clatter. Riko bent closer, his disgusting breath heating Eiri's face.

"Finally, Yuki-kun…" he whispered with deep desire ringing in his voice. "I have waited so long for this moment, you have no idea…"

Riko violently ripped Eiri's shirt, exposing his skin to the cold, still air. Even if Eiri would've been able to speak, he couldn't have. He was too stunned in fright. Never had he believed he would be this scared after New York and that night when Kitazawa….

Riko had started to breathe heavily. "Seeing all those pictures and articles about you and Shindou make me sick," he rambled on as he unbuttoned his shirt. "He isn't worthy of you, Yuki-kun… worthy of your gorgeous body…"

Something ticked in Eiri's head. This man, Riko, knew nothing about Shuichi and yet, he was speaking about him like his lover was worthless. Horror moved away for awhile and was replaced by growing anger.

"He is such a no-talent, unlike you, Yuki-kun… I can save you from him, you know, Yuki-kun, I can save you from his manipulation. I'm not like him; I'm not after your money like he is… Though Kazuya-sama has different motives than I have, regarding your kidnapping, I know Shindou is going to get what he deserves. _I'll_ make him suffer for stealing you away… Then you'll be free of him, Yuki-kun…"

Hatred boiled within Eiri. If Riko, Kazuya or the once-mentioned Watsuki laid one finger on _his _Shuichi, he wouldn't hesitate on killing again.

He heard a belt rattle as Riko opened it. "He is such a little slut, that Shindou. I bet he moans like one too, when he's being fucked... I wouldn't be surprised if I'd find out in a few years' time that he was selling himself on the streets…"

That was the last drop.

"Shut… the fuck… up."

Every single word was painful to utter aloud , but immense anger gave Eiri the strength. Not in any circumstances would he simply sit and listen Shuichi being insulted that way. He didn't know was the poison wearing off (he had clenched his hand into a tight fist) or was he able to resist it just because of plain rage.

Riko looked at him, puckering his brow. "Hmph. I think I ought to give you another dosage of the poison. But not yet; I want you to be conscious while I'll finally have your sweet body." He licked his upper lip.

Now only dressed in his underwear, Riko leaned very, very close to Eiri's face. He was just about to crush his eager lips onto the novelist's, when something happened he never expected.

Eiri spat on his face.

Riko fell backwards with a shout, wiping of the spit, enraged.

It had taken all of Eiri's strength to spit on the man. He wasn't even sure if he'd hit the man's face or shoulder... The blonde breathed heavily, knowing that Riko would be extremely pissed now. But Eiri didn't care, since the nauseating man had spoken of Shuichi as though he was a whore.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Yuki-kun… As much as I adore your body, I don't mind HURTING IT!"

With the last two words, Riko hit Eiri hard in his ribs. The paralyzed man gasped for air as the blow made all of it disappear from his lungs. Riko punched Eiri's right side again, now harder.

Excruciating pain seared through Eiri's body as he felt a nasty crack in his ribs. Before he had even mildly recovered, Riko violently hit his jaw.

Warm blood spluttered from between Eiri's lips on his bare chest. Eiri forced himself to cough; otherwise he would've choked into his own blood. He started to fall back again into the dark and cold sleep he had been in before waking up.

Riko laughed maniacally. "I'm going to make you feel sorry for spitting on me. Even though it is _your _spit, Yuki-kun, nobody spits on Riko." He smacked Eiri's face again, then his chest and his ribs.

Eiri felt his left eye start to swell after the strike. The pain in his ribs was slowly turning into unbearable. His face was covered in blood, he could taste blood in his mouth… He was having trouble breathing, probably because of his broken ribs.

His last though before giving in for the agonizing pain, was about Shuichi.

_Please… be safe. Shuichi…_

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, Yuki-kun… I see I will have to have you passed out anyway," Riko grunted as he saw that Eiri's eyes weren't moving anymore under his closed eyelids.

Wiping his bloody hands into Eiri's ripped shirt, Riko kneeled in front of the bruised man. As tenderly as he could (which wasn't very tender, mind you) he kissed Eiri's swollen lips. Riko felt arousal take over him and quickly opened Eiri's belt, tugging the dirty pants down Eiri's thighs. He trailed his callused palms over the soft, pale skin, groaning quietly.

He turned Eiri's limp body almost brutally on his stomach, hitting Eiri's head onto the hard floor in the process. But Riko was so impatient of having Eiri's delicious body to himself that he didn't care. Without hesitating, Riko crawled on top of Eiri and thrust himself inside the man of his dreams.

Riko continued relentlessly raping Eiri, gradually getting closer to his climax. His loud moans and sighs filled the empty and cold room with bloodstains on one wall. Eiri was fortunate enough to be unconscious, since Riko wasn't exactly very gentle.

Finally, Riko let out a yell and ejaculated inside Eiri. He fell onto the floor, gasping for oxygen.

After settling down, Riko got up and dressed himself. Before leaving the room, he glanced at the unconscious man he had just raped. The sight of the naked form made him stir up again, so he reluctantly pulled Eiri's pants back up.

"I'll make sure that no one else can have you ever again, Yuki-kun… Though Kazuya doesn't have any business with Shindou, I'll get him out of the way, so you and I, Yuki-kun, can be together _every night and day…_" the rapist mumbled aloud, gazing hungrily at the blonde novelist.

With a self-satisfied grin Riko went to look for Kazuya, locking the door behind him.

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**A/N: Well, it wasn't SO violent after all. Riko's one-sided sex-scene was a bit… well, ahem, ludicrous. Anyway, I decided to stop giving ridiculous names for the chapters, so this one didn't have a title. **

**Thank goodness it's the weekend now, so I have lots of time to write! You might get chapter five next week, if I'm being productive. If. **


	5. Chapter five

**A/N: Chapter five. I can't believe I've written a story as long as this… I might actually finish this! Thanks for sticking with me this far, I hope your interest will last to the very end!**

_Italics_** is flashback**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_**- Chapter five - **_

Hiro yawned. It had been a long night, and it still wasn't near ending. Shuichi had been like a wild animal after Hiro and the others had rushed to the yard.

…….

"_Shuichi!" Hiro shouted and nearly fell next to his sobbing friend. "What's wrong?" Hiro grabbed the vocalist's shoulders and shook him lightly. "Tell me, Shuichi."_

_Shuichi looked up at him with blood-shot eyes. His cheeks were wet from tears. "It's… it's –" he stammered and swallowed. _

_Hiro pulled Shuichi into a tight embrace. Shuichi buried his face into the crook of Hiro's neck and cried helplessly. "I should've known something was wrong, he was gone for so long! If I would've – If I –"_

_Hiro shushed him and cradled his best friend in his arms. He glanced at Touma with a question in his eyes. _

'_Eiri is missing,' the president mouthed soundlessly. Hiro nodded and stroked Shuichi's hair. _

"_Hey, Shuichi… Yuki-san's a grown-up, he can handle himself –"_

"_No, you don't understand!" Shuichi suddenly pushed himself up to look Hiro straight into the eyes. "He promised me that he'd always tell me, if he'd be going somewhere far! Something's happened to him, I know it, Hiro, we have to help him!"_

"_Shuichi…" Hiro gasped. He had never seen such a look of determination in his best friend's eyes. _

…….

The guitarist kneeled next to the restlessly sleeping form of Shuichi. After Shuichi had yelled and screamed enough, Hiro had taken his friend to his place to sleep, since Eiri's and Shuichi's apartment's keys were in Eiri's jacket's pocket.

Shuichi had a painful expression on his face and Hiro assumed he was having a nightmare. At least Shuichi random mumbling told him so.

"No… Please, don't hurt… him… Eiri…"

It pained Hiro to see Shuichi like this. Though Hiro was beginning to wonder why Eiri had disappeared like that, he wasn't sure did he believe in Shuichi's talk about kidnapping and abduction. Hiro shook his head, gave a gentle kiss on the pink-haired man's forehead and climbed into bed.

His bed felt uncomfortably empty, now that Suguru had decided it would be better if he'd sleep at home for that night. Even though Hiro knew that Shuichi would be nothing but happy for them, he still didn't feel comfortable with the idea of sleeping together with Suguru in the same room with someone else, regardless was this person his best friend or not. He grabbed his pillow and kept it close to his chest. He soon decided that the pillow did a lousy job on imitating his favourite keyboradist and shoved it back underneath his head.

Hiro rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep. It had taken a good two to three hours to calm Shuichi down. The singer had the tendency to get hysterical over the smallest of things and a lover's disappearance wasn't exactly very small.

The guitarist's eyes snapped open as Shuichi let out a feeble cry. Hiro's heart wrenched and he turned around to face Shuichi. His friend was clutching his blanket and burying his face in it, wetting it with tears. Hiro stood up and kneeled next to Shuichi's mattress.

"Hey," he whispered. "Are you awake?" Hiro gently nudged at Shuichi's shoulder.

Slowly, Shuichi turned around to meet Hiro's eyes. "Ye- yeah," he murmured with a thick voice. Tears were glistening in his eyes and he bit his lower lip as though restraining them. "I'm sorry… Did I wake you?"

Hiro shook his head. "No, I couldn't sleep anyway." He loosened the grip Shuichi had on the blanket and spread it over the shivering singer. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Shuichi nodded slightly and seemed to remember it, for new tears appeared into his violet eyes. At that moment Hiro wished he could make his friend forget about Yuki Eiri for awhile and not worry. He swore he'd kill that bastard novelist if it turned out the blond man had no good reasons to leave Shuichi like this.

"Hiro…" Shuichi said quietly and looked up at his best friend with a serious look, despite the tears. "I know no one believes me, but I _know _he's not ok. I just know. I once made him promise me that he'd tell me if he'd go anywhere, even to the store a few blocks away! And he _promised. _And even though no one believes this either, he loves me and – "

He was cut short by a curt shush from Hiro. "I believe that Yuki-san loves you, Shu. I really do… and I have to admit that you might actually be right. If he doesn't show up tomorrow we'll contact the police, ok?"

Shuichi looked like he wanted to protest, but simply nodded again. Hiro sighed, relieved. He ruffled Shuichi's pink locks and attempted to climb back to his own bed when he felt something yank him down. Shuichi's small arms were wrapped around his leg.

"Could you… sleep next to tonight? I – I haven't slept alone ever since I moved in with him, except during tours…" Shuichi asked, gazing down and silent tears falling onto the blanket, leaving it stained with damp circles. It was as if saying Eiri's name out loud would remind Shuichi more about him, thus making him more scared and more anxious.

Hiro felt his lips curve into a rather sad smile and stooped onto the mattress next to Shuichi. The taller man threw the covers on them and gently cradled Shuichi into his arms. The boy cried mutely into his chest, muttering something incoherent.

Gradually, they both fell into a hazy state of sleep.

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"It wasn't your fault, Touma."

Seguchi Mika couldn't sleep. She shifted on her back and yawned quietly. Her husband laid motionlessly next to her, staring absent-mindedly at the ceiling. He closed his eyes at his wife's remark.

"If Eiri-san was indeed kidnapped, then it is my fault." He didn't want to believe that his brother-in-law was abducted – it would make all the things K-san had told him today true. Not that he didn't trust K-san's judgement… everything was just becoming too serious at a too fast pace. Touma rubbed his temples and sighed heavily.

"Shindou-san was very persistent about calling the police… And as much as I hate to admit this, he must be the one person in the world who actually knows Eiri-san," Touma continued.

Mika nodded. "You must be right. I, too, have a strange feeling about this though. Eiri hasn't just left like this in a long time – maybe we should go to the police station tomorrow, even if they couldn't do anything yet."

Touma considered his wife's words for awhile, then smiled faintly. Taking Mika's hand, and giving it a little squeeze, he wished her good night, and dozed off.

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**A/N: Ah. I feel as though this chapter was very disorganised and just a drabble of words here and there. Maybe you'll get the idea though. ****And it's short again.  
**


	6. Chapter six

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. :D I experienced a nasty writer's block a while back, but now my imagination is flowing again! Here's the latest chapter for you. **

**----------------------------------**

**Chapter six**

"_Why won't you call me anything more endearing, Eiri-san? Like brother or something."  
_

Touma…

"_Why can't you ever visit Kyoto without me having to ask you a hundred times? Why do you have to be so difficult!"_

Mika…

"_Look, you can just give me the car keys or then you won't, but either way, I'm going to take Ryuichi to dinner with your Mercedes! Why can't you ever do something nice for your little brother?"_

Tatsuha…

"_Eiri, why can't you ever tell me you love me if you do?"_

Shuichi…

"_Eiri, why can't you -"  
"Eiri, why are you -"_

"_Eiri, why, why, why?"_

Stop asking me! I don't know! I have no idea! Leave me alone! Let me be! Stop asking these things! It's not my fault! Go away!

"_Sometimes it seems like you don't have any emotions at all!"_

No… I -

"_You're just an empty shell, how could you ever love anyone?"_

N- no, that's not true…

"_You're as cold as ice, but you never melt! Even your heart is made out of thick, impenetrable ice!"_

Why - why are you saying this..! It's not true! I can feel!

"_No you can't! No you can't! You'll be alone! Just like now."_

NO! I w- won't! You can't… Shuichi… where -

Where are you?

Why aren't you here? Why am I alone?

"_They're all lies."_

Wha - what?

"_You know that they're all lies, Eiri. And I know that too."_

Shu - ?

"_You know you're not alone. What would I be then? I would be alone too."_

I - I'm -

"_Wake up."_

_------------------------------------_

The battered novelist woke up abruptly. His breathing was heavy and he could feel cold sweat on his forehead. And once again, he had a killer headache. The dark room he was held in was as dark and deserted as ever.

Eiri closed his eyes and managed to settle down a bit. His dream had really got to him. He had had the same kind of dreams before, but never had they been so vivid. Eiri could recognize all the voices – Touma's, Mika's, Tatsuha's... and finally Shuichi's..

Usually, the dreams ended because he forced himself to wake up. No one ever bothered to _tell _him to wake up, but this time had been different. His lover's comforting voice had brought him back.

_I wish he's ok._

After a few steady but rasping breaths, Eiri concentrated on his rather troubling situation. His whole body ached. The pain near his lower regions was the most disturbing, and he believed he had an idea where it had come from and he didn't like that idea one bit. He knew some of his ribs were broken due to the large and purple bruise right below his chest and the fact that every inhale hurt like hell. He couldn't see nearly anything with his left eye and he could feel a deep cut in his lower lip. The taste of blood was making Eiri nauseous.

The blond man also noticed, to his positive amazement, that he was able to move as much as he could in his current state. Could Riko have forgotten to give him a new dose of the poison? It was very possible, since it seemed that this Kazuya and Watsuki were the brains behind this – this _thing, _whatever it should be called, Eiri thought.

_I guess this is kidnap… Though I don't believe I'm the key-person in their project or what the hell this is leading to. Neither is Shuichi, I hope._

When had Eiri last seen his lover? Days ago? Weeks ago? Eiri often tried to lie to himself about missing Shuichi, but right now, he couldn't really give a damn. He wanted to see him, see him safe and unharmed. Eiri prayed Touma had realised that he hadn't disappeared on his own, but that he indeed had been abducted. Touma if anyone would be smart enough to take Shuichi to safety. Since Eiri and the pink-haired singer (ok, so maybe it was only me, Eiri had to admit gingerly) had made the manner of their relationship public, nearly everyone in Japan and maybe even abroad knew how close they actually were. It wouldn't take a genius to guess that Shuichi meant a hell lot to Eiri, and by harming him, Eiri would be begging on his knees (well, not literally, Eiri made a mental note hastily) and ready to do anything to get Shuichi back.

But still, Eiri figured that the situation was drastically reversed. _He _was the one who had been taken. So what would this stupid gang want from Shuichi? Money, maybe? No, no that can't be it, Eiri decided. This Kazuya seemed to be above something like that; he wouldn't take a need for money this far. Riko, on the other hand, only seemed to have a physical interest in Eiri. Could it be possible Riko was only in this operation for his muscles? Eiri shook his head, and regretted it a split-second later as his headache got worse.

The whole thing felt so incredibly confusing to the novelist he wanted to scream his lungs out. He hated speculating. He hadn't _thought _this much since the day he received Mika's and Touma's invitation. Only at that time he had been thinking up of lame excuses to tell Shuichi so he wouldn't have to attend the idiotic party, the source of all this. Damn Mika and Touma!

If only the light bulb above Eiri's head had been visible, anyone who would've seen him would've known he had just realized something important.

--------------------------------------

Shuichi had been aching to get to the police station to report about Eiri's disappearance, but now that he actually was at the police station, he just wanted to get away from there as soon as possible. He probably would've done just that, if Hiro hadn't accompanied him.

In Shuichi's opinion, the police station was terrifying. The policemen all looked stoic and as if they would be ready to beat the shit out of the first law-breaker they happened to meet. Almost immediately after Shuichi and Hiro had arrived, three policemen with pistols and nightsticks on their waists had crashed through the main doors carrying a young man with a bruised face into a holding cell. Shuichi could swear he had seen a big red stain on one of the nightsticks and a matching bruise on the criminal's face. The pop star couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy towards the young man even though he had no idea what he had done. He might have even killed someone in cold blood.

Eiri always accused him of being too naïve and too oblivious to the darker side of the world. "_Violence exists, you refuse to see it or not. That won't ever change,"_ the blond had told him. Shuichi hadn't wanted to believe his words - because even though he was near his twenties, Shuichi couldn't face, nor decipher, some things in the world. Violence was one of them. Eiri had said that spending overtime with Ryuichi had affected him, but Shuichi thought it was because of his undying optimism. Even Eiri had admitted it.

_"You always have to find something positive even about the biggest jackasses."_

Shuichi recalled those words perfectly, because that was just one of the many periphrases Eiri used when talking about himself. Shuichi knew that Eiri had wanted to thank him for finding something positive about him too, the biggest jackass Shuichi had ever met. The fond memories made Shuichi smile.

A nudge on his shoulder pulled him away from his memories. Hiro was looking at his questioningly, as though he had just asked something. Shuichi looked around the hectic police station, and once again remembered what actually had happened to Eiri.

_Oh God, I'm thinking of him like he's dead! He isn't... he isn't..._

Shuichi sustained a sob and kept his tears away. This wasn't the place to start sniffling all over.

"Shuichi, I asked you a question," Hiro said and waved a hand in front of his friend's blank face. "You there?"

Shuichi gently slapped Hiro's hand down and showed his tongue at him. "Yeah, of course I am... so, um, what did you say?"

The guitarist sighed. "I asked you what our reception number was. They're going in 205 now." Hiro cocked his head towards the small screen above the receptionist's showing the number. A bright red "205" was flashing on it.

Shuichi looked at the crumpled piece of paper in his hands with a bold number 208 on it. "208," he said and squeezed the paper into a small ball again. He had unconsciously made it his stress toy.

"Great," Hiro yawned. It was only about 7.30 a.m., and though it was a Monday, it was too early for him. "All this waiting is making me tired." He stretched his arms behind his head and accidentally punched a gruff man straight in his face.

"Oi! 'The hell yeh think yer doin'!" he shouted, rubbing his chin with a pissed expression. He was holding a battered navy blue bag with a blemished hand. His grey jacket might have been white once and his hat was full of holes.

Hiro jumped up from his seat and bowing slightly, he muttered an embarrassed apology. But the old man didn't let it go.

"Yeh watch it who yer punching, hippie," he growled and gave a dirty look at Hiro's long reddish hair. "And I'd cut me hair if I were yeh."

Hiro looked at the man with a surprised face. "Excuse me," he said, narrowing his eyes to slits. Shuichi stood up also, getting ready to grab his friend if thing's were to get out of control. He knew how much Hiro loved his hair and how much he hated being called a hippie.

The man laughed mockingly. "Yeh look a bit familiar... Yeh a stinkin' celebrity or somethin'?" he turned to look at Shuichi. "No wonder yeh people think yeh can do anythin', like punching innocent people in their faces."

Shuichi was getting tired of the man; Hiro had apologized, it wasn't like he had meant to hit him. "Mister, it was an acci -" Shuichi began, but was cut off by the old man.

"Now I know why yeh look so familiar!" he said with a disgusted expression. "Yeh're from tha' queer pop band." He pointed rudely at Shuichi. "And yeh're with tha' blond four-eyes, tha' no-good writer!"

Hiro and Shuichi both stepped closer to the insulting man. "I don't give a shit about how much you bad-mouth me and my band, but don't insult Eiri!" Shuichi growled loudly. Hiro put a hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him under control. Shuichi could feel the anger boiling inside of him.

_How dare he say something like that about my Eiri! I hate him! I hate him!_

"Ooh, did I strike a nerve?" the man snickered. "Suits yer gay ass well enough!" Shuichi face fell. He felt like he had been slapped.

"Hey, you quit that right now," Hiro said with a low and dangerous voice as he saw the angry expression on Shuichi's face turn into a hurt one. He was just about to grab the man from his dirty collar when a voice from receptionist's booth called.

"Number 208, number 208!"

"That's us," Shuichi said weakly. Hiro glared at the man once more before dragging Shuichi towards the waiting receptionist's. The man smiled evilly at them, exposing a row of yellow teeth.

The friends sat in front of the booth on two uncomfortable chairs. "Yes?" the woman with huge glasses and a bored face said.

Shuichi swallowed. "I - I'm Shindou Shuichi and I'm here to report on a missing person."

------------------------------------

**A/N: I had no idea how the police station systems work in Japan (well, I don't know how they work in Finland either), so I just made up my own. Hopefully no one will mind :P**

** Also, I felt like this chapter was rather boring and slow, but I guess it was necessary for the plot. Next chapter will have more action, I promise.  
**


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